AQ006
Ferguslie Peninsula, Laurie Island


Country/territory: Antarctica

IBA criteria met: A4iii (2015)
For more information about IBA criteria, please click here

Area: 99 hectares (0.99 km2)


Site description (2015 baseline)
Ferguslie Peninsula lies on the northern coast of Laurie Island between Browns Bay and Macdougal Bay. The IBA qualifies on the basis of the concentration of seabirds present (in particular Chinstrap Penguin (Pygoscelis antarctica)) and comprises all of ice-free area on Ferguslie Peninsula, extending to Cape Geddes.

The nearest research station is Orcadas (ARG) which is located 9 km to the southwest of the IBA. Orcadas operates year-round with around 45 personnel present in summer and 14 in winter (COMNAP, Antarctic Facilities, accessed 01/09/2010).

Key biodiversity
Approximately 12 420 pairs of Chinstrap Penguin were breeding at the site in 1983, with colonies at Cape Geddes and on the east side of Ferguslie Peninsula (Poncet & Poncet 1985). Coria et al . (1996) reported 7318 pairs of Chinstrap Penguin breeding at the northwestern extremity of Cape Geddes in Jan 1994. Approximately 228 pairs of Southern Giant Petrel ( Macronectes giganteus ) were breeding at Cape Geddes in 1993 (Coria et al . 1996), and 187 in 2006 (ACAP 2010b).

Non-bird biodiversity: None known.


Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Ferguslie Peninsula, Laurie Island (Antarctica). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/ferguslie-peninsula-laurie-island-iba-antarctica on 19/12/2024.